Lighter



Feb. 26, 1946.

J. HoLTzMAN LIGHTER Original Filed June 12, 1940 l l 255555?! w 4 /llllllll f u'. 11.111,'1'1111114 I 0501611 QUT Patented Feb. 26, 1946 LIGHTER John Holtzman, New York, N. Y., assignor of onehalf to Irving F. Goodfriend, New York, N. Y.

Continuation of application Serial No. 340,109, June 12, 1940, which is a division of application Serial No. 16,171, April 13, 1935. This application June 11, 1942, Serial No. 446,590

13 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to cigar and cigarette lighters of the pocket or table stand type, wherein a serrated wheel is actuated to abrade a pyrophoric element and thereby throws sparks on to being also provided with a spring-holding tube 38 telescoping into the tube 34. The linger piece 36 is mounted for vertical reciprocatory movement and during said movement, causes operae feel-fed Wick 1 20 ignite the Wick- ThiS appl- 5 tion of the lighter mechanism including the uncaitlon. is a conmnuatwn of my co'pending ap' capping of the wick 39 and the rotation of the pllcatlon for patent Ser. No. 340,109, filed June abrading Wheel 26 to produce sparks from the 1.2, 1940, and which latter application was a divipyrophoric block 25 and thereby to light said 121) llpllo llatleg for Llghter' Wick. The depending sides 31 of the linger piece My invention is designed to provide simple are arranged outW-ardly of the sldes the Snuger cgmpact an; dependable actuating means for the geeggzeggede therepast on e operatlon a rading W eel and contemplates such arrangements and combinations of parts as will meet the The gcktgs lslppegbteapr tfberg severe requirements of practical use and the coni5 'iet a gat to 941.3 and with degendm deg ditions of quantity production at minimum cost. M fr p b 42 tad f The various objects of my invention will appear .Sam Snu er tmerl er h ft mnl or as the description progresses, and will further be swmgmg movmen on e s a' W c passes clear from the drawing wherein, through the sides. of the s'nuier member and Fig. 1 is a vertical section of one for of my 20 mto the upstandmg pretmn? of the 035mg' improved lighter, teken on the line i-l o Fig. 6. rfgdfs gft ge finger Pleee 1e depressed end OnFltlgie 2lirllse alllnclllfalliisgcon of the same' taken In the closed position of the lighter, the ex- `Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are similar sections, respectivetended part 45 is arranged unfierneath the P0P ly, of other modified forms of my improved of the Snuffel' I nember and Owmgfo the act10n lighter. on the linger piece of the linger piece spring 41, Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the lighter shown and the eOflSeClllel'I tendency 0f the Daft 46 130 in Figs. 1 and 2. move upwardly, maintains the snuffel' member 42 it will be understood that the practical emnormally in Wick-Capping positionby lts tendbodiments of my invention may assume various enel rotate Send Snuffer meinberm a counterforms which I will describe separately in detail, clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. l, 2 and 6,1 have there Mounted on and extending between the deshown a lighter provided with the casing' 2n of pending sides 44 of the snufier member is the pin preferably rectangular outline and comparatively Carried by sind pm 1s the abrading wheel thin in a lateral direction and provided with the :l5 Operating paw19|,terminat1ngin sultable ratchet bottom 2l. The tube 22 for the pyrophorio mal teeth which engage the ratchet wheel 9 2 loose on terial extends to the bottom and is removably the sahft 3l and secured to the abrading Wheel. closed by the screw 23. Said pawl 9| is urged into engagement with the Said screw retains the spring 24 within the ratchet Wheel 92 by meansof a Suitable C011 tube 22, the spring acting upon a suitable block 40 spring 93 mounted on the pin 90. One end of 25 of pyrophoric material to urge said block into the spring engages the pawl, and the other end contact with .the abrading wheel 26. The sides engages the end CI'OSS bar 94 et the Ilght end 0f 2i and 28 of the casing are extended above the the snuffel' member as viewed in Fig. 1. The loper end 29, to provide spaced upstanding proratchet wheel 92 ls mounted on the shaft 3l on Jections in which the abrading Wheel shaft 3l 45 one side of the abrading wheel 26 While a. second is mounted. As its upper part, the casing 20 is ratchet wheel 95 is loosely mounted on the same closed by the wall 32 which supports the tube 22. shaft on the other side of the abrading wheel and Said wall 32 carries the wick tube 33 arranged is also connected thereto. at one edge o-f the casing, and the spring holding Means are provided f or normally maintaining and guiding tube 34 arranged at the other end 50 the abrading wheel against rotation during part thereof. of the Adownward movement of the finger piece Mounted for movement into and out of the 36. Said means comprises the pawl B6 engaging casing in a straight line path is the movable the ratchet wheel and forming one arm of ringer piece member 35 provided with a. at top the bell-crank lever 91, the other arm of which 33 end With depending sides 31, said nger piece 55 is acted. on by the spring 98. The bell-crank lever 91 is pivoted to one of the sides of the casing as by means of the pin 99.

An upright pin (Fig. 2) carried by the finger piece 36 is arranged to engage the end of the bell-crank lever 91 and to rotate said lever to release the abrading wheel on downward movement of the finger piece, said pin and bell-crank lever moving into the dash-dot line positions thereof illustrated in Fig. 2. A second pin |0| carried by the finger piece 36 is arranged to engage one end |02 of the sheet metal spring `|03 when the finger piece is depressed. The other end |04 of said spring |03 is secured to one of the depending sides 44 of the snuffer member whereby no movement of the snuffer member nor of the abrading wheel occurs by reason of the initial downward movement of the finger piece 36, said initial movement instead exing the spring |03 into the dash-dot line position thereof shown in Fig. 1.

When, however, the pin |00 has rotated the bell-crank lever 91 suiciently to remove the pawl 96 thereof from the ratchet wheel 95, then the spring |03 becomes eifective, in its tendency to. resume its normal position, to rotate the snuler member 42 about its pivot 45 since the end |04 of the spring moves toward the end |02 thereof and thereby rotates the snuffer member in a clockwise direction. Rotation of the snuffer member in turn causes movement of the pin 90 carried thereby and of the pawl 9|, said pawl in turn rotating the ratchet wheel `92 and causing rotation of the abrading wheel 26 secured thereto whereby sparks are produced and the wick 39 ignited. Release of the finger piece 36 permits said spring |03 to resume its normal position under the influence of the spring 41, whereby the snuffer member 42 is rotated into its initial position, shown in Fig. 1, by the part 46.

It will be understood that as is customary in the art, the casing 2n is stuifed with suitable absorbent stufiing |05. Fuel may be inserted into the casing throughA the opening normally closed by the lling screw |06 in the bottom of the casing 2 I.

However, I have shown a means which makes it comparatively easy to fill the casing with fuel and to impregnate the stulng |05. Said means comprises the fuel c ntai |01 of compratiyellsoft.

. of the screw |06 before said screw is inserted into the fuel inlet opening ||0. The screw |06 being .threaded on to the neck |08 of the container while said neck is uppermost to form a leak-proof joint therebetween, the container and the screw are together screwed into the threads of the opening ||0 into the position shown in Fig. l. A pin as carried by the finger piece 36 and passing through the spring 41 is provided with a pointed piercing end ||3 adapted to penetrate the top ||4 of the container when the finger piece 36 is depressed. The container is thereby pierced and permits the liquid, paste or fuel pellets contained therein to evaporate through the opening thus formed and to penetrate and impregnato the stuffing |05 and the wick 39.

It will be understood that when the container |01 is empty of fuel, it may readily be removed by removing the screw |06 which carries the container with it, and substituting a new filled container in the manner hereinbefcre described.

In that form of my invention shown in Fig. 3, for the spring |03 is substituted the spring |20 secured at one end |2| to the finger piece |22 and at its other free end |23 engaging the bevelled end |24 of the snuier member |25. The remaining parts of the lighter are substantially identical with those disclosed in Figs. l, 2 and 6 excepting that the spring 41 is supported by the spring stop |26 provided with the upstanding portion |21 entering but of less length than that of the spring 41. The spring bending pin |0| is also omitted.

It will be seen that in this form of my invention, on the initial part of the downward movement of the linger piece |22, the spring |20 is bent to assume the dash-dot line position shown in Fig. 3 until the pin |00 moves the bell-crank lever 91 a suicient distance to release the pawl 96 from the ratchet wheel with which it is in engagement. Thereafter, the spring |20 is released and acting on thesurface 24 of the snufier member, causes rotation of said snuffer member about its pivot 45 and thereby causes rotation of the abrading wheel 26 and ignition of the wick in substantially the manner hereinbefore described in connection with Figs. 1, 2 and 6. On the release and consequent upward movement of the finger piece, the spring |20 engages the projection |28 of the snuffer member and rotates said member into its normal or initial position.

Referring to that form of my invention shown in Fig. 4, the lever |30, secured to the snuifer shaft 45, is interposed between the pin |0| and the spring |3|. Said spring |3| is secured at one end thereof to a projection as |32 on the snuier member |33, the other end of said spring engaging the arm |34 of the lever |30. The other arm of said lever |30 is engaged by the pin I 0|.

In this form of my invention, it will be seen that on the depression of the linger piece 36 and the consequent downward movement of the pin |0|, the lever |30 is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4 to initially compress the spring |3|, it being understood that at the same time, the pin |00 rotates the bell-crank lever 91 to release the ratchet wheel 95. The nal part of the downward movement of the finger piece and after said ratchet wheel has been released, permits the spring |3| to expand. 'I'he lever |30 being held in its rotated position by the pin |0|, said spring in its expansion causes rotation of the snuifer member |35 in a clockwise direction to uncap the wick and to cause rotation of the abrading wheel 26 through the pawl 9| and ratchet wheel 92.

In that form of my invention shown in Fig. 5, the pin |0| engages the end 40 of the member |4|. Said member |4| is pivoted on the shaft 45 and carries the pawl |42 pivoted thereto as at |43, said pawl engaging the ratchet wheel 92 which operates the abrading 26. Between t..e end |40 and the remainder of the member |4| is the integral flexible spring-like part |44.

It will be understood that when the finger piece 36 is .epressed during the initial part of its movement the pin |0| engages the end |40 of the spring part |44, thereby bending said part into dash-dot line position shown in Fig. 5. Simultaneously, the pin |00 rotates the bell-crank lever 91 into the abrading wheel releasing position. On the final part of the movement of the finger piece 36, the part |44, in its tendency to assume its initial posltion, rotates the snuffer member 42 and at the same time operates the pawl |42 to rotate the ratchet wheel 92A and to cause rotation of the abrading wheel 26 to ignite the wick.

A suitable spring as |45 acts upon the pawl H2 to maintain said pawl yieldably in engagement with the ratchet wheel 92, said pawl yielding and failing to operate said ratchet wheel on the return movement of the snuffer member 42 to its initial or snuing position under the action of the extension 46, which return movement occurs on the release of the finger piece.

While I have shown and described various preferred embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto but intend to claim my invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art and the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a lighter, a casing provided with upstanding projections, a snuffer member pivotally mounted between the projections, a finger piece, means on the finger piece for engaging the snuffer member to urge said snuiier member into wick snuiiing position, an abrading wheel, a spring member interposed between the finger piece and the snufler member, means for connecting the spring member to the snuffer member, a pin secured at one end to the finger piece and having a free end arranged to engage the spring member for stressing the spring member on the depression of the linger piece, means including a second pin projecting from the finger piece, a bell-crank lever pivoted to the casing and terminating in a pawl and having an arm provided with a free end arranged in the path of the second pin, and a ratchet wheel mounted coaxially with the abrading wheel and normally engaged by the pawl for maintaining the snuffer member in its initial wick snuiiing position during the initial part of the depression of the finger piece, said last-mentioned means being operated by the finger piece for releasing the same during the latter part of the depression of the finger piece to permit release of the spring member and thereby to rota-te the snuiier member, and means for rotating the abrading wheel on the rotation of the snufler including a second ratchet wheel mounted coaxially with the abrading wheel and a second pawl carried by the snulier and engaging said second ratchet wheel.

2. In a lighter mechanism. a pivotally mounted snuffer member, a depressible finger piece. the top surfaces of the finger piece and snufler member being coplanar in the normal positions thereof. a projection on the linger piece engaging the snufl'er member, a spring urging said projection against the snuffer member to maintain said snuffer member in snuiing position, a sheet metal spring member fixed at one end and free at the other for operating the snuifer member, a pin on the finger piece having a free end for engaging and stressing said spring, means for normally preventing the spring when stressed from operating the snufler member including a pivotally mounted bell-crank pawl having a free arm and a ratchet wheel engaged by the pawl, and a second pin on the finger piece for engaging the free arm of the bell-crank pawl and for releasing said pawl from the ratchet wheel during the latter part of the movement of the finger piece whereby the snuier member is operated by the stressed spring and spark-producing mechanism operated on the movement of the snuffer member out of its normal position.

3. In a lighter mechanism, the combination with a fuel container of an abrading wheel rotatably mounted over the top of said container, a block of pyrophoric material yieldlngly supported against said wheel, a wick extending into said con- Search Roe tainer, a snuffer for said wick, a finger piece adapted to be moved in a rectilinear direction and located in the corner of said fuel container, said snuiier and said iinger piece normally presenting a iiat top on the lighter, means formed on said linger piece and container for guiding said finger piece in a straight line path, a ratchet Wheel associated with said abrading Wheel, a lever pivoted on the same axis as the snuffer, a ratchet rack in operative engagement with said ratchet wheel arranged to rotate the wheel in one direction only and pivoted at one end to the lever, the other end of the rack normally engaging the snuier, spring means forming part of the lever and arranged in the path of the finger piece to be stressed thereby, latch means in said lighter mechanism to normally retain said snufler in position to cover the wick and means responsive to movement of said finger piece for disconnecting said latch to operate the wheel and the snuffer after a certain movement of the finger piece has taken place.

4. In a lighter mechanism, the combination with a fuel container of an abrading wheel, means mounting a block of pyrophoric material against said wheel, a wick extending into said container, a snuier for said wick, a nger piece adapted to be moved in a straight line path to control the actuation of said snufier, said container having a wall mounting all the parts hereinbefore mentioned, said finger piece being located at a corner of said container, means associated with the container for guiding said finger piece in its movement, said snuer and nger piece normally forming a fiat top on the lighter, means connecting said finger piece and said snuffer including a spring tensioned on operative movement of the finger piece, and releasable latch means biased for holding the snuifer to be pressed against the wick, said latch means including a bell-crank lever pivoted to the container intermediate its ends and having an arm provided with ratchet teeth and a second arm in the path of the finger piece, said snuer being adapted to be moved upwardly upon the rectilinear manual movement of said finger piece against the action of said spring to actuate the abrading wheel.

5. In a lighter construction in combination, a fuel container having a wick exposed therefrom. a lever member carrying a snuffer cap pivotally mounted to said fuel container for movement of said snuiier cap into and out of wick covering position, a rotatable sparking wheel mounted adjacent said wick and having a pyrophoric element operatively related thereto, a nger piece member adapted to be actuated to move in a straight line path slidably mounted on the top part of said fuel container, a sheet metal spring interposed between said members, one end of said spring being secured to one of said members, the other end of the spring being free to move and bendable out of its normal position and through a predetermined angle relatively to said one end, said spring being arranged to be tensioned upon the rectilinear movement of said finger piece member in one direction, latch means for holding said lever member against movement in wick uncovering position, means associated with the linger piece member for tripping said latch means after said finger piece member has tensioned said spring to a certain extent and means responsive to the movement of the finger piece member to rotate said wheel for producing pyrophoric sparks to light the wick.

6. In a lighter mechanism, the combination with a fuel container, an abrading wheel, means mounting a block of pyrophoric material against said wheel, a wick extending into said fuel container, a snuffer for said wick, a nger piece adapted to be moved in a straight line path to actuate said snuffer, said container having extensions mounting all said parts, means connecting said finger piece and said snuffer including a bendable sheet metal spring and latch means biased to hold the snuffer against the wick and including a bell-crank lever pivoted to the container intermediate its ends and having a first pawl arm and a second arm having a free end in the path of the nger piece, said snuffer being adapted to be moved upwardly upon the rectilinear manual movement of said nger piece against the action of said spring to actuate the abrading wheel.

7. In a lighter mechanism the combination with a fuel container of an abrading wheel rotatably mounted over the top of said container, a shaft for the wheel, a block of pyrophoric material yieldingly supported against said wheel, a wick extending into said fuel container, a snuffer for said wick, a nger piece adapted to be moved in a straight line path to actuate the snuier, a ratchet wheel associated with said abrading wheel, a ratchet rack in operative movement with said ratchet wheel arranged to rotate said wheel in one direction only, spring means connecting said finger piece and said snuffer, latch means in said lighter mechanism to normally retain said snuffer in said position to cover the wick, said latch means comprising a bell-crank lever, a plurality of ratchet teeth at one end of the lever and a ratchet Wheel loosely arranged on the shaft and connected to the abrading wheel and means responsive to movement of said finger piece in-a rectilinear path for disconnecting the ratchet teeth from the ratchet wheel of said latch means to operate the wheel after a certain movement of the finger piece has taken place.

8. In a lighter mechanism, the combination with a fuel container having an elongated top wall, a wick projecting from said wall adjacent one end thereof, an abrading wheel revolubly mounted above said wall, a block of pyrophoric material in contact with said wheel, a snuifer for said wick pivotally mounted over the top wall of said container, a finger piece slidably mounted over the top wall of the fuel container and adapted to be moved in a straight line path, a spring connection between said nger piece and the abrading wheel, a latch normally preventing rotation of said wheel, and tripping means operated by the rectilinear movement of the finger piece and including pins projecting from the finger piece to release the latch when said finger piece is moved to a certain position to allow the wheel to be rotated by said spring means, said latch comprising a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends and having one arm provided with a, pawl and having a second arm terminating in a free end arranged in the path of one of said pins, and a ratchet wheel mounted coaxially of the abrading wheel and normally engaged by the pawl.

9. In a lighter mechanism, the combination with a fuel container of an abrading wheel, means mounting a block of pyrophoric material against said Wheel, a wick extending into said container, a snufer for said wick, a linger piece adapted to be moved in a straight line path to control the actuation of said snuffer, said container having a wall mounting all the parts hereinbefore mentioned, said finger piece being located at a corner of said container, means associated with the container for guiding said finger piece in its movement, said snufer and finger piece normally forming a at top on the lighter, means connecting said finger piece and said snuiler including a spring tensioned on operative movement of the finger piece, and releasable latch means biased for holding the snuifer to be pressed against th'e wick, said latch means including a spring pressed lever fitted to the container intermediate its ends and extending in the path of the rectilinear movement of the linger piece, said lever arranged to lock the snuier at a point in the rear of the axis of the wheel intermediate the said axis and the finger piece, in a position to cover the wick and a ratchet rack pivotally mounted to the snufEer to rotate the sparking wheel.

10. In a lighter, an abrading wheel, a rst ratchet wheel secured to one side of the abrading wheel, a second ratchet wheel secured to the other side of the abrading wheel, a rst pawl engaging said first ratchet wheel, a springpressed depressible nger piece, a bell-crank lever carrying said second pawl, a pin on the finger piece having a free end arranged to engage the lever to remove the second pawl from its ratchet wheel after a predetermined amount of movement of the nger piece, a snuier member carrying said first pawl, and a spring for operating said snuffer member to cause operation of said i'lrst pawl and movement of the abrading wheel after said second pawl has been released from its ratchet wheel, by 'said pin, said spring being stressed on the depression of the finger piece, and said spring becoming operative after said second pawl has been released from its ratchet wheel.

11.l "In a lighter, a casing having a fuel inlet opening, spark producing mechanism on the casing, a spring-pressed depressible linger piece controlling the operatic-n of said' mechanism, a fuel container arranged removably in the opening, and a piercing member carried by the finger piece in spaced relation to the container and arranged to engage and piece the container on the depression of the nger piece.

12. In a lighter, a removable liquid receptacle, a reciprocable nger piece, means carried by the nger piece in normal spaced relation to the receptacle to pierce the receptacle on the movementof the finger piece in a given direction and then to move away from the receptacle, means for guiding the nger piece during its movement, and means controlled by the finger piece to operate the lighter.

13. In a lighter, the combination of a fuel container, a wick extending into said container, means to light the wick, a snuffer member for covering the wick, a sealed auxiliary container filled with combustible material and adapted to be removably inserted into said main container and an externally reciprocable nger piece controlling the operation of the snuffer member and the wick lighting means and provided with a piercing element for puncturing said auxiliary container to permit the combustible material to enter into main container.

JOHN HOLTZMAN. 

